Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes had the pleasure of dealing with Purdue star big man Zach Edey twice this season, including in the Elite Eight last weekend.
Edey was dominant in Purdue’s 72-66 win on Sunday, scoring 40 points and grabbing 16 rebounds. The 7-foot-4 center also went 14-of-22 from the free throw line.
“You’ve got a very unique player in Zach Edey, very unique,” Barnes said postgame, via On3. “It’s a hard game to officiate.”
In the Boilermakers’ win over the Vols in the championship game at the Maui Invitational back in November, Edey scored 23 points and was 9-of-17 from the free throw line, meaning he attempted 39 foul shots in two games against Purdue.
“He’s an extremely physical player, does a great job wedging with his body,” Barnes said of the projected national Player of the Year. “I thought all along his misses are the hardest thing to defend because he does lead strong. He’ll bounce you off and try to create a crack and step through it. That’s where he’s improved so much with his footwork.”
Edey can drive opposing fans crazy with his size and the amount of space he takes up, plus the way he’s able to draw fouls. Referees themselves have even said it is a challenge to officiate the senior center.
“You have to watch him on every single play, get your head on a swivel,” former NCAA coordinator of officials J.D. Collins told The Athletic’s Dana O’Neil. “If he’s setting a screen, posting up, dunking, every single play he’s involved in, we need to decide if it’s legal or a foul.”
Edey and the Boilermakers will face NC State and its own standout big man DJ Burns in the Final Four on Saturday.